A magnitude 7.8 earthquake has devastated areas across southeast of Turkey and northern Syria according to report killing over 1300 people in the two countries
Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan said that 912 people have been killed in Turkey alone, and 5,383 wounded, due to the earthquake.
Speaking he said that he can’t predict how much the death toll will rise by as search and rescue efforts for survivors continue.
This is Turkey’s largest disaster since 1939, Erdogan tells reporters, adding that 2,818 buildings collapsed as a result.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centred about 33km (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was about 18km (11 miles) deep, and a strong 6.7 aftershock rumbled about 10 minutes later. The tremor was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon.
In northwest Syria, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defence described the situation in the rebel-held region as “disastrous”, adding that entire buildings had collapsed and people were trapped under the rubble.
